Hi, this is RJ Watters with National Trash Valet and today I’m going to answer the question of, “What the heck is a valet trash addendum?”

Contracts, in general, are very important to your own business structure and especially the apartment complex business structure and what they have their residents. You’ll be having your own contract negotiated, the residents have their own contract with the apartment complex, so really in all the contract is there to protect and define the terms of both parties, every party involved.

I’m going to be answering the 7 most frequently asked questions about a valet trash addendum.

Question 1: What is a valet trash addendum?

Well, it’s a document that’s added to the original contract and it details more in-depth the services that are provided. In this case the apartment complex would add the addendum to their contract with their residents that highlights your services, violation fees, pretty much anything that would be in the scope of your business and the services you’ll be providing to the residents.

Question 2: Why is a valet trash addendum needed?

This is pretty simple, because like I said it really details the valet trash service for the apartment complex. That way when their going through the contract to sign a new resident the apartment leasing team can have a sub-section in the contract that states the legal terms between the residents and the apartment complex regarding the valet trash services, how it’s maintained, what they need to do with their trash containers. It pretty much answers all of those questions for them in the contract. What they legally need to do for the service. It really also helps integration of new service with residents, because residents will need to come down and sign the addendum and make sure that they understand essentially what their signing is this is the valet trash service, set your container out, it gets picked up, take it back in, violation fines and service days and hours.

Question 3: Does my valet trash business provide the addendum to the apartment complexes?

In most cases, no you won’t. The property management company has its own legal team in most cases that will go ahead and create the document for the leasing team because it will be in the lease contract. In that case, you don’t need to.

Question 4: What if a complex asks me for an addendum?

You don’t need to provide it. It’s easier for them and their legal team to create the document because they’re familiar with verbiage in their leasing contracts. It would just be a mess and a can of worms if it opened it up to you to have to have your lawyer write it or find a lawyer to write it. It just doesn’t make sense.

Question 5: Will every client use a valet trash addendum?

Well, not every client will. Some clients will actually write a blurb into their main contract that’s there continuously every time. A lot of time the addendum will be used because it’s easier for them to switch out terms on the addendum then rewrite a whole entire contract to go forward.

Question 6: Will I need to provide information to the lawyers writing the addendum?

In most cases, you won’t. Your services are pretty self-explanatory. the apartment complex should know the services that you’re providing, but if they do, if there are any questions you won’t really be answering that to the lawyer specifically. For the most part, you’ll go between the property manager or the regional vice president or whoever is dealing with contract and the lawyer for that property.

Question 7: Does the addendum protect my business at all?

Not really. The addendum isn’t there to protect your business. The addendum is really there for the sales associate when they are signing up the residents. It will just highlight your services and what is required of the resident for valet trash services in that apartment complex for their year lease or 6-month lease or however long their lease is. In the end, it will really protect the management company that’s signing up the resident because it’s stating the terms of the business.

In the end, addendums really aren’t that tricky to understand. It’s not an add-on to your contract when you’re selling to an apartment complex. It’s really for the apartment complex to add into their stating your services to the residents, so knowing your business contracts inside and out will help you in sales meetings with the addendum. If there’s a question asked by the client or just you having the knowledge to kind of work with them as needed.

Using this information will help you sell your residential valet trash apartment services more easily to your potential clients.